John Irvin Unger, 66, a resident of Wabash, Indiana, passed away at 4:30 a.m., Monday, August 31, 2026, at his residence. He was born on January 12, 1960, to George L. Unger and Barbara E. (Grim) Unger in Wabash, Indiana.
He was given the name “John Irvin” in honor of his maternal and paternal grandfathers, carrying a piece of his family history with him from the very beginning. John graduated from Southwood High School in 1979 and spent his life doing what came naturally to him: working with his hands and taking care of the people around him.
After high school, John joined the family business, Mill Creek Stone & Gravel Corp., where he worked until his father retired in 1991. That same year, John and his brother Steve started Power-Wash, Inc. Over the years, John also worked for Dave’s Excavating and Agro-Chem and as a member of the Operators Union, including work on the cloverleaf at State Roads 24 and 31.
In July 2001, John started his own business, 2 Guys Workin’ LLC. His craftsmanship, steady work ethic, gentle smile, and attention to detail earned him many loyal, repeat customers over the years. He especially enjoyed remodeling bathrooms and kitchens and took pride in creating rooms from raw materials that were tailored just right. Measure, cut, nail, sand, paint, with care until it was just right again and again. This was John.
At the center of John’s heart was his family. Just a few weeks ago, John went on a fishing trip with various family members including his grandkids. If you were to peek into John’s phone ninety percent of his camera roll are of his children and grandkids. In his short life, it was a priority for John that his children and grandchildren knew they were loved by him. This was paramount to John.
Jane was the love of John’s life. Many agree, together, John and Jane were a phenomenal team from hosting family gatherings, gardening, canning, and working on their home. Shoulder to shoulder, John and Jane completely renovated their home with one of their most recent projects, being the addition of a two-story garage. She joined him in taking care of family, often helping with their home projects or making them meals from scratch for celebrations or just because. Jane was John’s perfect addition.
Away from work, John loved being outdoors. John described the woods as “his church.” He especially enjoyed mushroom hunting and became deeply interested in learning about different mushroom varieties and their potential healing benefits. As a matter of fact, the other ten percent of John’s camera roll was of mushrooms.
For John, life was easy if you embraced your family, God and worked steady.
John is survived by his wife, Jane (DeLauter) Unger of Wabash, Indiana; son, George L. (Kristin) Unger of Wabash, Indiana; daughter, Jessica E. Harris of Ft. Wayne, Indiana; grandchildren, Chaz, John David, Sebastiaan, MaKinley, BrayLynn, and Karina; brother, George Steven (Jennifer) Unger of Wabash, Indiana; sister, Jeanne E. (Keith) Longsworth of Ft. Wayne, Indiana; mother in law, Mary DeLauter; brother in law, Jack DeLauter, and sister in laws, Joyce (Darryl) Knotts and Jeanie (Anthony) Cooper. He is preceded in death by his parents and father-in-law, Gene DeLauter.
Funeral service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 5, 2026, at McDonald Funeral Home, 231 Falls Avenue, Wabash, Indiana 46992. Burial will follow at Friends Cemetery in Wabash, Indiana.
Visitation for family and friends will be on Friday, September 4, 2026, from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the funeral home.
Preferred memorials may be made to the Noble Township Volunteer Fire Department.
McDonald Funeral Homes, Wabash Chapel, 231 Falls Avenue, Wabash, Indiana 46992, have been trusted with John I. Unger's final arrangements.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.mcdonaldfunerals.com
